Matty Healy, frontman of The 1975, appeared to reference his former girlfriend Taylor Swift during the band’s headline performance at Glastonbury Festival on June 27, 2025, sparking widespread speculation among fans and media outlets.
During the performance at Worthy Farm in Somerset, England, Healy addressed the crowd while holding a pint of beer. Healy declared himself “probably the best songwriter of my generation” before adding that he was “the best poet, ladies and gentlemen, is what I am.” He continued by calling himself a “generational wordsmith” and told the audience he wanted to remind them that his lyrics constituted poetry.
The use of the word “poet” drew immediate attention from Swift’s fanbase, as many believe it referenced her 2024 album “The Tortured Poets Department.” Multiple songs on the album are widely speculated to be about Healy, including “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived,” the album’s title track, “Guilty as Sin,” and “I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can).”
Following his speech, The 1975 performed their song “Chocolate,” with gibberish subtitles appearing on screen behind the band, suggesting Healy’s comments may have been delivered sarcastically. One fan in the crowd was heard mentioning Swift’s album name when Healy called himself a poet, according to footage captured by Variety.
Fans also noticed additional details that appeared to reference Swift. Healy wore a Peter Pan pin on his black leather jacket during the performance, which many interpreted as a nod to Swift’s song “Peter” from the same album. The song compares its subject to the character Peter Pan and includes lyrics about waiting for someone who was 25 when they first met, matching Healy’s age in 2014 when he and Swift were first romantically linked.
Swift and Healy dated briefly from May to June 2023, following Swift’s split from Joe Alwyn. Their relationship was highly publicized, with Healy attending several of Swift’s Eras Tour concerts and the pair being photographed together frequently in New York City, including at Electric Lady recording studio.
The relationship ended due to what sources described as incompatibility and scheduling issues. When Swift released “The Tortured Poets Department” in April 2024, a source told Us Weekly that Healy was “blindsided” by the album’s lyrical content, though the same source noted he found the attention “hilarious” because their relationship was never serious.
Healy has previously addressed Swift’s songs about him. When asked by Entertainment Tonight about his rumored “diss track” on the album shortly after its release, he responded that he hadn’t listened to much of it but was sure it was good. In October 2024, during an appearance on the Doomscroll podcast, he referred to their relationship as a “casual romantic liaison” and indicated he wouldn’t write songs about the situation because it wouldn’t be interesting.
Swift responded to Healy’s Glastonbury comments indirectly the following day. On June 28, she was photographed in New York City with her current boyfriend, Travis Kelce, during what appeared to be a coordinated date night. The couple was seen holding hands while arriving at dinner, both wearing white outfits. Swift wore a houndstooth Balmain dress while Kelce wore a matching white ensemble.
The timing of their public appearance, which was widely covered by media outlets, shifted attention away from coverage of Healy’s Glastonbury performance. Swift has not spoken publicly about Healy outside of her music since their 2023 breakup. She began dating Kelce weeks after ending her relationship with Healy, and sources indicate the couple is now very serious, with Swift planning to attend as many of Kelce’s NFL games as possible during the upcoming season.
Healy became engaged to model Gabbriette Bechtel in June 2024, approximately one year after his split from Swift. The Glastonbury performance marked The 1975’s only currently scheduled show for 2025, making it a significant moment for the band and drawing particular attention to Healy’s comments.
Social media users responded with mixed reactions to Healy’s performance, with some fans suggesting he appeared intoxicated during the set and others defending his comments as unrelated to Swift. The incident represents the latest in a series of apparent references between the former couple through their respective public appearances and musical releases.
